Sweat rolled down Shi Man's temples. His jaw clenched as the intense stream of information filled his mind. He didn't cry out or collapse. Instead, he stood still like a statue, enduring it all.
After nearly five minutes, the process stopped.
Shadow Ming pulled back, his body flickering faintly before fading once more into Xiao Wei's shadow.
Afte few seconds, Shi Man's eyes snapped open.
They gleamed with new understanding.
"Can you use it?"Xiao Wei asked quietly.
Shi Man didn't nod. He didn't shake his head either.
Instead, he said only one thing.
"I'll try."Shi Man said.
Xiao Wei gave a satisfied smile and turned toward the direction of the battle area.
They walked back into the open, and the crowd parted slightly as they reemerged.
Qin Nan cracked his neck and sneered.
"Done whispering secrets? Or did you change your mind again?"Qin Nan said with a smirk.
Shi Man stepped forward and took his place.
"Fight!"Qin La's voice rang out like a bell, sharp and commanding, signaling the start of the second match.
Immediately, the air between Qin Nan and Shi Man grew tense. The surrounding crowd fell silent, their eyes fixed on the battlefield.
Qin Nan stood tall and confident, his broad shoulders relaxed but his grip on his saber tightening with anticipation. His aura pulsed with strength—dense and stable, like a mountain waiting to crush all beneath it.
Across from him, Shi Man's expression was calm, but his eyes were sharp and unwavering. He carried a longbow with practiced ease and take out an arrow from his Storage Ring that gleamed in the sunlight.
Qin Nan smirked.
"What? Scared? Come on. Let me see what a mere Sixth Layer Martial Master can do."Qin Nan called out, tapping his saber against the ground.
He was clearly taunting. The difference in Cultivation levels was evident—Qin Nan was at the Eighth Layer of Martial Master, a full two layers above Shi Man. That gap wasn't something ordinary skill or courage could easily overcome. Still, Shi Man didn't respond to the provocation. He simply stepped back, putting some distance between them, and notched an arrow.
The bowstring creaked as he drew it taut, eyes narrowing.
Thwip!
An arrow shot through the air, straight toward Qin Nan. With a snort, Qin Nan lifted his saber and deflected the arrow with ease, sending it spinning away with a metallic clang.
Thwip! Thwip! Thwip!
More arrows followed. One after another, Shi Man fired rapidly—some aimed at Qin Nan's chest, others toward his legs, and a few even into the ground around them.
"Is this all you've got?"Qin Nan barked, laughing as he batted away the incoming projectiles.
Some of the spectators chuckled, clearly expecting another easy win for the Qin Clan.
But on the Xiao Wei side, people began to notice something odd.
"Junior Brother Shi Man is a very skilled archer. But… why is he shooting at the ground?"Chen Xiao said softly, confusion in his voice.
"I was wondering the same thing. His aim seems intentional, but it makes no sense…"Shi Feng added, arms crossed as he leaned forward.
Old Yang, however, had grown unusually silent.
He narrowed his eyes as he watched the pattern of arrows embedded in the arena floor. He studied the spacing, the angles, the rhythm of Shi Man's firing. And then, a realization struck him.
His eyes widened.
He turned toward Xiao Wei, who stood quietly to the side, arms folded and completely composed.
"…So that's it"Old Yang muttered to himself as he looked at Xiao Wei to hear some answer.
But Xiao Wei didn't answer as he was focused in the battle.
Old Yang looked back toward the battlefield, his voice rising just enough for Shi Feng and his disciples to hear.
"This isn't a random flurry of arrows. He's constructing something. I believe it's a Martial Technique created by your ancestor, Shi Ming—one that merges his archery comprehension with Array Formation."Old Yang said slowly.
Shi Feng's head snapped toward the Old Yang.
"Senior, you mean the Rat Trap Arrow Formation? But that… Martial Technique was buried with ancestor as he never pass down his teachings!"Shi Feng siad in disbelief.
"Shi Ming didn't pass down this Martial Technique because it requires not just mastery of the bow, but also deep understanding of array structures and timing. It lays a hidden formation across the battlefield using arrows as nodes, creating a trap that activates once the enemy is fully within its boundaries."Old Yang said, while still watching the battle intently.
Back on the battlefield, Qin Nan was growing annoyed.
He had taken a few minor scratches from the arrows, but nothing serious. He wasn't even breaking a sweat.
"Enough of this nonsense! Are you trying to annoy me into surrender? Fight like a man!"Qin Man roared.
But Shi Man still said nothing.
He loosed one final arrow—this one aimed low, striking the exact center between some other arrows embedded in the ground.
A few moments passed after Shi Man's final arrow struck the ground but he didn't take out another arrow.
He simply stood there, unmoving.
On the other side, Qin Nan grinned, misinterpreting the silence as hesitation or perhaps surrender.
"Hahaha! What? Out of arrows already? Just admit defeat now! Dragging this out any longer is pointless!"Qin Nan burst into laughter, voice booming across the arena.
He tapped his saber against his shoulder with casual arrogance. His words echoed, drawing a few chuckles from the spectators—those unaware of what was unfolding.
But Shi Man didn't flinch. Instead, he smiled faintly and looked at Qin Nan with the kind of amusement one might show to a stubborn child.
"You're an idiot"Shi Man said under his breath, barely loud enough for anyone to hear.
Then, he took a slow step forward, eyes gleaming with focus. He raised the hand holding the bow into the air and calmly declared.
"Rat Trap Arrow Formation—Activate."
The instant the words left his mouth, a sudden pulse of Spiritual Energy rippled outward from the arrow-filled ground. The scattered arrows around Qin Nan began to glow faintly—red light, running along the shafts like veins of power. They vibrated in place before lines of energy emerged from them, connecting with each other in a perfect cube formation around Qin Nan.
A faint hum filled the air as the Spiritual Energy lines solidified into a glowing cage, trapping Qin Nan inside like a beast in a net. The walls of shimmering energy sealed his every direction.
The crowd gasped in disbelief.
"What is this?!"
"It's a formation?"
"I thought Shi Man was just randomly firing arrows…"
Qin Nan's laughter stopped abruptly. His smirk faded into confusion, then narrowed into a scowl as he glanced around, suddenly realizing he was completely surrounded.
"You—what did you do?"Qin Nan snapped.
But Shi Man didn't answer. He simply stood outside the formation, looking calm and composed.
Panic flashed across Qin Nan's face, but it quickly gave way to defiance.
"You think this can trap me?"Qin Nan sneered.
With a roar, Qin Nan surged forward and slashed at the glowing barrier with his saber, releasing a wave of Spiritual Energy. His blade struck the wall with a heavy clang, but the shimmering surface absorbed the impact effortlessly. Not even a scratch appeared on the barrier.
Gritting his teeth, Qin Nan launched a flurry of attacks, each more powerful than the last. His saber sliced, pierced, and struck every corner of the cage—top, bottom, sides—but the formation held firm.
Qin Nan was growing desperate. Sweat rolled down his forehead, and his breath came in ragged gasps. He'd spent nearly all his Spiritual Energy launching attacks against the formation, but it had been useless.
Inside Xiao Wei's mind, Shadow Ming's voice echoed with smug pride.
'How could a mere Martial Master think he can break a formation technique I created? Let him struggle—it only deepens the humiliation.'
Xiao Wei remained quiet, but a ghost of a smile touched his lips.
Finally, after minutes of futile effort, Qin Nan staggered backward, panting. His saber trembled in his hand, and the veins in his arms bulged from overexertion. He had nothing left to give.
Outside the formation, Shi Man stepped closer, his voice cool and unwavering.
"Do you admit defeat?"Shi Man asked.
Qin Nan's head snapped up. His face was pale, his jaw clenched, but he didn't respond. His eyes, however, burned with hatred—for Shi Man, as he humiliated him in front of others. Being trapped. Being toyed with. Being made a fool in front of everyone.
Inside, his thoughts boiled with resentment.
*How dare he humiliate me in front of everyone? Me—Qin Nan!*Qin Nan thought.
Still, the silence continued.
Shi Man stood like a sentinel, waiting. He wasn't angry. He wasn't gloating. His calm demeanor only further infuriated Qin Nan.
From the Qin Clan's side, Qin La's voice finally cut through the tension.
"Qin Nan, admit defeat."Qin La said sharpl, his voice was clipped, but there was no room for argument.